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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chapl^X Copyright Xo.,SL_. 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



CHURCH UNITY. 




REV. R CONDIT RUSSELL, 

North Salem, N. Y« 



New York : 

THE MARTIN B. BROWN COMPANY, PRINTERS AND STATIONERS. 
Nos. 49 to 57 Park Place. 

1896. 



CHURCH UNITY. 



RUSSELL, 



North Salem, N. Y. 



The Library 
of Congress 



WASHINGTON 



COPTRIGHT, 1896, BY 

R. CONDIT RUSSELL. • 



The Church a Divine Institution, 



The Christian Church is the Kingdom of Heaven which the 
Prophets described in such glowing language that vast genera- 
tions desired to see it and enjoy its blessings. While there were 
many kingdoms among men dividing communities from each 
other, God made known His will that He would establish a king- 
dom which should extend over the earth. After centuries of 
expectation had come and gone, St. John the Baptist startled the 
chosen nation with the prophetic cry, "Repent ye, for the King- 
dom of Heaven is at hand." Our Saviour commenced His min- 
istry with the same declaration, and then He went to work 
to lay the foundation of this kingdom, of His Church, against 
which, He said, the gates of hell shall not prevail. This king- 
dom would meet opposition. Unbelievers would speak against 
it ; the- world would persecute it, but nothing could overthrow it. 
Its foundation being the product of Divine wisdom, its laws 
coming from God, and having Him for its ruler and king, it 
would surmount every barrier in bringing the heathen to Christ 
and the uttermost parts of the world in humble subjection to the 
Divine sceptre. 

One Church. 

Our Saviour gave much instruction in regard to the condition 
of His Church. He drew some beautiful and restful pictures to 
show His relation to His followers, and their relation to Him and 
to each other. He said, "My sheep hear my voice and they 
follow Me. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold ; 
them also I must bring, and there shall be one fold (flock) and 
one shepherd. One is your master, even Christ, and all ye 
are brethren." He prayed, " Holy Father, keep through Thine 
own name those whom Thou has given Me, that they may be one 
as We are. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also 
who shall believe on Me through their word, that they may all 



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be one in Us, as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that 
they may be one in Us : that the world may know that Thou 
hast sent Me." Our Saviour's first followers were from the 
Jewish people. But the Gospel would go beyond Palestine and 
converts would be made among all nations. However numerous 
His followers might become, they would be as one flock, of 
which he would be the shepherd. Whatever their nationality or 
language might be, they would be as brethren, and He would be 
their master, their leader. There is nothing in these pictures to 
indicate that the followers of Christ would be as different flocks 
of sheep, having fences between them, through which they might 
look with bleating defiance, and over which they might leap to butt 
and batter each other, as though no relationship existed between 
them. There is nothing in these pictures to indicate that the 
followers of Christ would be as different tribes, who when not 
engaged against a common foe, would take pleasure in throwing 
darts at each other. But these pictures indicate the existence of 
peace and good will, harmony and unity. His followers should 
be as one flock, feeding in green pastures and beside still waters, 
hearing the voice and following the one shepherd. They should 
be as brethren dwelling together in unity, each and all guided 
by the wisdom of the elder brother. 

The Apostles taught the same idea, the oneness or unity 
of the Church. They said, " We are all baptized into one body. 
Ye are the body of Christ. Ye also as lively stones are built up 
a spiritual house." And in the Apocalypse, the Church is 
called the Bride, the Lamb's Wife. These names indicate unity. 
There is but one Kingdom, one Church, one body, one spiritual 
house, one bride. 

While the Apostles were yet living, there was, at times, some 
diversity of opinion among Christians. Some of the Jews who 
had been converted to Christianity could not conscientiously eat 
meat which had been offered to an idol. Others, knowing that 
the idol was nothing, could conscientiously eat the meat which 
had been offered to it. These two parties had no small disputa- 
tion. One charged the other with violating the Law T of Moses. 
The other replied that they were not under the Mosaic Law, that 
they were under the Gospel, and might lawfully eat all things. 



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A moral question was involved bearing upon the conscience of 
individuals. They might have separated and formed themselves 
into two religious bodies, and they might have formulated Ar- 
ticles of Faith having reference to the eating of meat. But an 
Apostle directed them to cease troubling each other. He told 
them, in substance, that the Church was broad enough for their 
views on this subject ; that they could eat meat which had been 
offered to an idol, or abstain from eating it, according to their 
conscience, and still they would be the followers of Christ. 

St. Peter, when preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, ac- 
cepted their hospitality and ate with them. This was contrary to 
Jewish custom, but he availed himself of the liberty of the Gos- 
pel, and called no man unclean. Some Christians, who had been 
converted from Judaism, but who still retained the Jewish prej- 
udice in regard to associating with men of other nations, came 
to the place where St. Peter was laboring and living on terms of 
equality with those who had been converted from heathenism. 
St. Peter, knowing the views of his Jewish brethren, and fearing 
opposition, separated himself from the Gentiles, and ate with the 
Jews only. It was a little matter, but it caused excitement and. 
debate, which extended to other questions contained in the law 
of Moses. St. Paul heard of this trouble, and he reproved St. 
Peter for his conduct, rebuked him in the presence of all, showed 
him his error, and explained the principles of Christianity on the 
points of contention, that this vacillating disciple might have 
the courage to live according to the Gospel, and that all the breth- 
ren might live in harmony. Here would have been an excellent 
opportunity, according to modern ideas and ways, for the estab- 
lishment of two ecclesiastical organizations. St. Paul might have 
said to St. Peter : I hear that there is a little diversity of senti- 
ment among the brethren. Men have different types of mind, 
they cannot all think alike on religious matters, even as they clo 
not all think alike in regard to the jurisdiction of the Roman 
Empire. Let us separate. You establish the Church among the 
Jews, according to their prejudices. I will take the Gentiles 
and adapt myself to them. We will agree to disagree on the 
non-essentials. We will be all things to all men. and with these 
two great ecclesiastical bodies we shall bring Jews and Gentiles 



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into the fold. This would have been in harmony with modern 
ideas of individual types of mind and individual preferences. But 
it was not so with the founders of the Christian Church. St- 
Paul withstood St. Peter to his face, and reproved him for his 
conduct. St. Peter received the rebuke, wheeled into line, pre- 
served the unity of the Church, and henceforth labored in har- 
mony with the other Apostles. 

We turn our attention to the city of Corinth, in which St. 
Paul had established the Church, and where, as his custom was, 
he had left religious teachers to look after the flock. Here, in this 
city of intelligence, was born the spirit of division. Christians 
arranged themselves under different leaders. They said, " I am 
of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ." One 
part adhered to the name of the Divine Master, three parts took the 
names of human leaders to distinguish their ecclesiastical positions. 
When St. Paul had heard of these divisions, he said nothing upon 
which advocates of denominational distinctions can find the least 
encouragement, but something which reproves and rebukes them. 
He said, " It hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, 
that there are contentions among you. Every of you saith, I am of 
Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is 
Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized 
in the name of Paul ? Xow, I beseech you, brethren, by the name 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and 
that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly 
joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." 
With these words he rebuked the spirit of division, and believers 
remained joined together in one spiritual body. During the 
Apostolic period — while the Apostles were yet living — they kept 
the Church united in faith and organization. The modern idea 
of having different religious bodies, so as to suit different types 
of mind, had no place with the founders of the Christian 
Church. 

The Apostles taught what the Saviour had taught them. 
They labored under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, and placed 
the Church in the world according to Divine direction. But St. 
Paul looked into the future and saw the approach of evil. When 
speaking to the Ephesians. just before they should see his face 



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no more, lie said, " I have not shunned to declare unto you all 
the counsel of God. Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, 
and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you 
overseers, to feed the Church of God which He hath purchased 
with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departing 
shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things 
to draw disciples after them." He wrote to St. Timothy, his 
fellow laborer, and said, " Preach the word, be instant in season, 
out of season ; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all Ion gsnffe ring 
and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure 
sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they keep to 
themselves teachers having itching ears ; and they shall turn their 
ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables." 

A Divided Church. 

St. Paul's prediction was fulfilled. The wolves came and did 
not spare the flock. Teachers speaking perverse things arose and 
drew disciples after them. The wolves have multiplied, and the 
teachers have increased until their name is legion, and the Church, 
founded by the wisdom of the ever-living God, is looked upon as 
being anything and everything according to everybody's fancy. 
The condition of the Church is frequently discussed by men of all 
shades of religious belief. "We read of remarks made in Con- 
ferences, Conventions, Synods, Associations and Congresses in 
regard to the unhappy divisions existing among Christians. Some 
make overtures or propositions which may lead to ecclesiastical 
unity ; but at the present time there is a strong inclination to keep 
the denominational lines where they are ; and the prevailing 
sentiment is unity in essentials, diversity in non-essentials. From 
the divisions which have taken place, and from the numerous 
religious bodies in existence, it seems that a great deal of impor- 
tance is attached to what is called the non-essentials. A question 
arises upon which there is difference of opinion. Discussion fol- 
lows and glow T s w T ith more heat as it continues. The leaders 
become stubborn and unyielding, and finally the ecclesiastical 
body is rent in twain ; some go one way and some another way, 
according to their sentiments. This scene has occurred time and 



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again ; it has taken place so often, and it has produced so many 
different ecclesiastical organizations as to suggest the idea that 
perhaps Christians pay more attention to the non-essentials than 
to the essentials. The non-essentials force them apart, the essen- 
tials being too weak to hold the body of Christ together. But what 
are the essential points of Christianity ? What are the fundamental 
principles upon which the Church rests % Suppose we should 
send out papers to Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, 
Baptists, Unitarians, IJniversalists, Quakers, and to hundreds of 
other religious bodies, asking them to state what they consider to 
be the essential points of Christianity. On looking over these 
papers, as tbey return to us, we would find that many of them 
agree on certain points, and disagree on other points. Some 
would have a few articles of belief, and others would have many 
articles ; and some would differ almost entirely from tbe rest, 
placing among the non-essentials what the rest consider to belong 
to the fundamental principles of the Gospel. Let these papers be 
printed in pamphlet form, bearing the title, A message from the 
Churches to the world, that the world may know and receive the 
fundamental principles of Christianity, and we would have a 
document which, to say the least, would be very unsatisfactory. 
But this would be just what religious bodies claiming to be the 
Church, and claiming to teach the truth, hold. 

Why not publish it then ? Why not send out millions of conies, 
place one in the hand of every man, woman and child throughout 
Christendom, and scatter them through heathen lands, that 
people everywhere may know the truth as the churches hold it % 
This being done, what fruit might we reasonably expect % If you 
were seeking to know the truth, and this pamphlet should be 
placed in your hand, and your eyes should rest upon the title, 
A message from the Churches to the world, that the world may 
know and receive the fundamental principles of Christianity, 
would you not say, This is just what I want ? And after reading 
it, would you not lay it down with the feeling of disappointment, 
with great depression of spirit ? Thousands and tens of thou- 
sands would do it. They would be driven to the very verge of 
infidelity, and would give expression to feelings bordering on 
despair. If there is a hell, may we in some way escape it; if 



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there is a heaven, may we be so fortunate as to get there ; if there 
is a Revealer of truth, may He have mercy upon us, for they who 
profess to be His servants and to teach His truth, have no mercy. 
Do you think that the different religious denominations, through- 
out Christendom, would like to publish such a pamphlet and send 
it over the world % I think there would be unity among them in 
saying no. But they are virtually doing this thing. They are 
teaching it in their Sunday schools, and preaching it from their 
pulpits, each endeavoring to guard and fortify his own against 
the heretical doctrines of his neighbor. The people endure it 
because they have become associated with respective religious 
bodies, and have imbibed the sentiments of the organization with 
which they are connected. Hence discords and conflicts move 
onward to convert the world from sin and error to God, the 
author of harmony and revealer of truth. 

Halt ! 

It is time for the word halt to be pa'ssed from one ecclesiastical 
organization to another, until it shall resound throughout Chris- 
tendom, and until individuals and organizations shall ask, Where 
is the Church, the basis of militant movements against error ? 
It has been asked, What are you willing to give up in order to 
secure Church unity % We do not need the unity, and the world 
does not need the unity, which may be based upon denominational 
compromises. What we need, and what the world needs, in this 
age of division and discord, is to find out where the Church is 
■ and what it is, that we may glorify God and benefit humanity. 

Denominational concessions, one giving up this and another 
giving up that, in order that the Church may assume a position of 
respectability before the world, might be regarded as the offspring 
of human wisdom ; but human wisdom or human folly, call it 
what you please, has caused all the ecclesiastical divisions which 
have taken place since the days of the Apostles. It is time to 
halt, and in the midst of this confusion to ask, Where, andwAatf 
is the Christian Church ? We should not attempt to shield our- 
selves behind the statement that our ecclesiastical organization is 
founded upon the teaching Sacred Scripture, for they are all say- 
ing this, and the declaration implies that the Gospel contradicts 



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itself as often as the hundreds of religious bodies contradict each 
other. We should not attempt to shield ourselves behind the 
statement that our form of Church government is the best for 
the advancement of Christianity, for they are all saying this to the 
confusion of the world. Nor should any one assert that the 
church or society to which he belongs accords with reason and 
common sense, for the atheist takes the same position when ridi- 
culing Christianity and the belief in a personal God. It is time 
for intelligent and devout men to stop this nonsense, to lay aside 
party spirit and to have mercy upon the world. It is time for the 
different religious bodies throughout Christendom, without arbi- 
tration, and without making concessions to each other, to seek a 
basis of union. 

The Basis of Union. 

With this in view, the important question arises, Where may 
such a basis be found \ We can find this place of rest by travel- 
ing either of two different roads. We may start from the in- 
structions given by our Lord, pass through the founding of the 
Church by the Apostles, into the next period of two hundred 
years which abounds in ecclesiastical literature whicli throws a 
strong light upon the primitive condition of the Church ; or we 
may start from our present position, go backward through the 
centuries of division and discord, until we reach the year three 
hundred, and there join our voices with the voice of united 
Christendom in saying, " I believe in one Universal and 
Apostolic Church.'" The position of the undivided Church 
through the first three hundred years presents a basis of union 
upon which our divided Christendom may marshal its forces, 
without arbitration and without making concessions to each other. 
Let us look at these two different roads which we may take to 
reach this basis of union. We call ourselves Christians, the fol- 
lowers of Christ, We, therefore, take His Gospel as the guide of 
Our faith and the rule of our deportment. We have a record of 
His life, which contains much that He said and did while He 
walked among men. But He gave His disciples more instruction 
than we find in the four Gospels. He gave His disciples 
much information when they were by themselves, and between 



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His resurrection and ascension. He said many things to tliem in 
relation to His Kingdom, which the four Evangelists did not 
record. This instruction which the four Evangelists did not 
record, we may find by taking a step forward, and seeing what 
the Apostles said and did, when they were teaching the observ- 
ance of whatsoever the Saviour had commanded, and when the 
Holy Ghost was bringing to their minds whatsoever the Saviour 
had said unto them. The Acts of the Apostles and their 
Epistles, as given in the New Testament, give a view or the 
Church and the application of the Gospel to the heart and life 
of men. But the Apostles gave more instruction than we find 
in their Acts and in their Epistles. They preached orally and 
established the Church in many places before a single word 
of the New Testament was written. When the Apostles 
were absent they wrote Epistles, as the necessity of believers 
required, but when they were in the worshiping assembly they 
taught orally. Through this written and unwritten instruction, 
they established and strengthened the Church, and left men 
qualified to carry on the work of evangelizing the world. 
As we get from the New Testament but a small amount of the 
instruction which the Apostles gave, so we get but a small view 
of the Church as the Apostles established it. To see what the 
Apostolic Church was, we must again take a step forward. Soon 
after the Apostles had passed away, those to whom the care of 
the Church was committed began to write about the Church. 
Much which they wrote has come down, to us. We have " The 
Apostolic Fathers," a little work called " The Teaching of the 
Twelve Apostles," the " Apostolical Constitutions," and many 
sermons, all of which throw light upon the Church, and enable 
us to see it as an organization. This literature places before us 
the prayers and songs of praise used in the worshiping assembly, 
the sacraments administered, the services accompanying them, 
and the position of the clergy in the Church. During the two 
hundred years which followed the death of the last Apostle, 
ecclesiastical writers described the Church as it existed among 
them, and they took pains to state that it was not changed and 
molded to suit their sense of propriety, but that it existed among 
them as it had come to them from the past. Resting in this 



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period and looking over Christendom, we do not find different 
ecclesiastical organizations, but we see one Church, one universal 
Church claiming to be the Church founded by the Apostles 
according to the instruction of our Lord. Let us now take the 
other road and go backward to this proposed basis of union. Let 
us start from the point where we happen to be — from the reli- 
gious body to which we belong. If we travel backward through 
its history of one hundred years, and find that it split off from 
some other religious body, we may consider ourselves excusable 
if a doubt should arise as to whether this religious organization 
of one hundred years is the true Church, for we find that some- 
thing different existed before it. Let us then pursue our course 
through that body from which this one separated. If we find 
that some strong-minded man started it a few centuries ago, let 
us pursue our course through that religious body from which he 
caused a separation ; let us go backward, further and further, 
until we can look over Christendom without seeing different 
ecclesiastical organizations, but seeing everywhere one undivided 
Church claiming to be Apostolic. This will place us within the 
year three hundred. If we go back to the year two hundred, 
we shall see the same undivided Church claiming to be Apostolic. 
Back a little further, and we shall see godly men who conversed 
with the Apostles ; and everywhere, from the day of Pentecost 
to the year three hundred, we shall find the same undivided 
Church claiming to be Apostolic ; and here we may rest. If the 
clergy and the laity of the hundreds of religious bodies which 
are now contradicting each other and confusing the world, should 
pursue this course, their paths would lead to one point. Step- 
ping backward through one century would obliterate many 
denominational distinctions and bring their members closer 
together. Three centuries more and a host of ecclesiastical 
organizations would be dropped. A journey of twelve centuries 
more, and denominational lines would disappear, and the millions 
of Christians, clergy and laity, would stand upon the same 
basis, without arbitration, concessions or compromises. There 
would be simply the abandonment of whatever different types 
of mind have added to the Church, and the restoration of 
whatever different types of mind have taken from the Church, 



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The Church is God's Kingdom, which He has established for 
the evangelization of the world and for the uplifting of humanity. 
Its laws, its sacraments and its ministry are of His appointment. 
He did not consult human wisdom in the arrangement of these 
matters, and He has not given any intimation that He placed 
His church into the hands of men to be changed from generation 
to generation to suit supposed requirements ; but there is intima- 
tion that He established His Church as He intended it should 
remain to the end of time. Its brightness has been dimmed by 
the exaltation of human wisdom above the wisdom of its Omnis- 
cient King. Let those who call themselves Christians do their 
utmost to put away this sacrilege. Let the babble which is 
confusing the world cease, and let all speak the same thing. 
Let the different folds become one flock, hearing the voice and 
following the one shepherd. 

Then one Christian will not address another and ask, To 
what church do yon belong? And the stranger, desiring to 
worship with the assembly, will not ask, What church building- 
is that ? For every spire pointing heavenward will simply 
proclaim, this is the house of God ; and all Christians will be 
recognized as belonging to the same flock, as one in Christ, as 
He is one with the Everlasting Father. Then the Church will 
shine like the sun, and the Gospel will be as the voice of God 
to the world. 



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